Franklin b



(No Model.)

F. B. HILLS.

FOLDING TABLE AND STOOL. No. 351,637. Patented 00326, I886.

' M7 55551 fa/Pl 7 7 7 N. PETERS. Pholv-llilhogmphen Wishmgnn. D. c.

' but lie at an angle other than a right angle to tion of the inventi0n,such as will enable-others 'parts of the several figures.

Unirnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN B. HILLS, OF TORRINGTON, CONNECTICUT.

FOLDING TABLE AND STOOL.

S PECIP ICA'I'IO N forming part of Letters Patent No.351,637, dated October 26, 1886.

Application filed February 13, .1886.

Serial No. l91,8l6. (X0 model.)

so that the block may be readily lifted out To aZZ whom, it may. concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN B. .HILLs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Torrington, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Tables, Stools, &c.; and I do hereby declare the fol-' lowing to be a full, clear, and exact descripskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the sarneQ My invention relates to tables, stools, and other similar articles of furniture, and has for its especial object to provide a table suitable forcribbage and other games, and which may be folded into the smallest possible compass when not in use. With these ends in view I have devised the novel construction of which the following description, in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, is a specification, numbers being used to indicate the different Figure l is a perspective of the table, and also showing a cribbage-board detached and in perspective. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section .of the table taken with the cribbage-board in place. Fig. 3 is an elevationwith the table folded, and Fig. 41s a bottom plan view thereof.

1 is the table-top, which is provided with a rectangular opening, 2, entirely through it. This opening is made of just sufficient size to board 3. The sides of this opening are straight, and the two ends are parallel to each other,

the plane of the table. The block 4 of the cribbage-board, which just fits in this opening, has the outline in elevation of a rhom boid. The block of the cribbage-board is provided with the usual openings to receive the cards and the pegs, and is also provided at its ends with recesses 5, adapted to receive bolt 6.

It is of course desirable in this class of ta-. bles to make them as light as possible. For

this reason I do not make the table as thick as it is necessary to make the block, in order to allow for recesses for the cards'and pegs.

Upon the under side of the table is secured a support, 7, upon which the block rests. This support is provided with a central opening, 8,

from below.

It will of course be apparent that the block cannot drop down below the support; but when the table is closed up and inverted, as in Fig. 4, the block would drop out unless held in position by a suitable catch. For this purpose I have provided bolt 6, which slides in a recess cut out for it in the support 7, and engages one of the recesses 5 in the block.

9 is a stop, which may be a screw or any similar device, to prevent the bolt from being entirely drawn out from the support.

When it is desired to use the table for play ing cribbage, the block is placed in the table with the side upward upon which is the cribbage-board. When it is not desired to use it for cribba-ge, bolt 6 is withdrawn, the board lifted out,and turned over endwise, so that the end that was formerly at the right will be at the left. To insert the board in place, the forward end is pushed forward and dropped down upon the support; then the otherend is dropped and secured by bolt 6, as before. This side of the block is made perfectly smooth and of the same material as the rest of the table-top, so that the upper suiface thereof is perfectly smooth, except the slight crack between the block and the table proper.

As stated above, when the block is in position and the bolt pushed in, the table maybe upset, turned bottom upward, or placed in any position with perfect safety to all parts,

the pins, &c., being held in the block and the block being held in the table bythe bolt.

In order to provide a support for the table which will hold it firmly, and which may also be folded to the smallest possible compass, I pivot a pair of levers, 10, to a bracket, 11,upon the under side of the table. The outer ends of levers 10 are pivoted to levers 12, which cross each other, and are held together by a tenon or pivot, (not shown,) as will be more fully. explained. At the outer ends of levers 12 are pivoted other, levers, 14, which also cross each other, and are secured together by a. tenon or pivot (not shown.) The lower ends of levers 14 extend sufficient distance beyond the point of intersection to afford a firm support for the table upon the floor. It will of course be understood that a similar set of ICU levers is provided at each end of the table, the two sets being connected by tie-strips 16. These tie-strips are provided with tenons (not shown) which pass through the levers, and the ends of which are covered by washers l7,held in place by screws 18, which pass through the washers and engage the tenons, the tenons themselves being free to turn in the levers.

The especial feature of this portion of my invention is that levers 12 are extended upward beyond the point at which they are pivoted to levers 10,thc upper endsthereot,which I have indicated by 19, forming supports upon which the opposite ends of the table rest, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

20 indicates turn-buttons at the opposite corners of the table, which are provided with notches 21, to engage the ends of supports 19. These turn-buttons are pivotedjust inside the line of the bearingpoints of the supports,and are held in their operative position by springs 22, connecting each pair of buttons. The action of these springs is to throw the buttons into their engaged positions, but no spring action is required to holdthem in engagement, as the location of the pivotal points of the buttons themselves is such that the greater the pressure upon the table the more firmly the supports are locked in place by the buttons.

\Vhen it is desired to release the supports and fold the table, it is simply necessary to catch hold of springs 22, between the buttons, and pull them outward. tons inward toward each other and releases the supports, thus permitting the whole device to collapse instantly to the position shown in Fig. 3. Stop-pins 23 are provided on each side of the buttons, (see full and dotted lines, Fig. 4,) which prevent the spring from pulling more 011 one button than on the other, and which also limit the motion of the buttons, so that they will not be forced toofar apart by the springs when the table is folded up.

It will of course be understood that the details of construction may be varied within reasonable limits without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A table-top having a central opening, 2, with inclined ends, and a support, 7, secured This draws the butto its under side, and provided with an opening, 8, in combination with a block shaped to correspond with opening 2, one end of which is supported by the table-top and the other by support 7, and means, for example a bolt, whereby the block is held in place when the table is inverted.

2. The combination, with a table-top, of levers 10, pivoted thereto, and levers 12, pivoted to each other and to levers 10, and provided with extensions 19, upon which the table-top rests, and means, for example buttons 20, whereby said extensions are caused to support the table in operative position.

3. The table-top having buttons 20, connected by springs, brackets 11, and levers 10, pivoted thereto, in combination with levers 12, pivoted to each other and to levers 10, and provided with extensions 19, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The table-top, turn-buttons 20, having notches 21, and springs 22, connecting said turn-buttons, in combination with levers 12, having extensions 19, upon which the top rests, and which are engaged by the buttons, and leverslO and 14, pivoted as shown and described.

5. The table-top and levers 10 and 12, the

latter having extensions 19, in combination with turn-buttons 20, pivoted within the line of the lovers and having notches to engage the extensions, and springs 22, connecting each pair of buttons, and acting to throw them toward the extensions, and also when drawn outward, as a means of releasing the extensions, so that the table may be folded.

6. The table-top having openings 2, straight at the sides and inclined at the ends, as shown, and a support, 7, secured to its under side, in

combination with a block shaped to correspond with said opening, and having recesses 5 at its ends and a cribbage-board on one side, and a bolt, 6, carried by the support and adapted to engage the recesses to lock the block in place.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANKLIN B. HILLS.

Witnesses:

A. M. WoosTER, O. E. RUGoLns. 

